Leaping to know more about lemurs? National Geographic explorer Mireya Mayor is an expert of the world’s smallest primate- she’s studied them for over 20 years! Catch her as the star of November’s National Geographic Live and see how she’s been livin’ that lemur life.

Primatologist, conservationist and National Geographic explorer Mireya Mayor will be in Calgary this November as the subject of the next fascinating National Geographic Live installation at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. An engaging talk for all ages, the event is specifically geared for youth in Grades 3-12.

Why is she such an expert on all things lemur? Why, only because her research has helped identify over 70 species of lemur! In the 1990’s there had only been 30 identified species of lemur, and little was known about the primates. After a visit to Madagascar, Mayor was intrigued by incredible variety of lemurs that she encountered, and began to study their genetics. Her work changed the classifications of lemurs, proving that there were many different species of lemur, instead of merely subspecies of the same primate!

Ring-Tail lemurs at the zoo Photo Credit: Sergei Belski

This opened the door for further study of the incredible animal, and modern science now recognizes more than 100 species of lemur; these unique species all are native to the tiny island of Madagascar. Which is why the predication that all rainforest in Madagascar will be gone by 2018 is so chilling- this forest is the only place that lemurs naturally call their home. How can we help? Learning more about the issue is a great place to start, so check out Miraya Mayor’s National Geographic Live installment.

Learn more about the Calgary Zoo’s work with lemurs, and brand new habitat Land of Lemurs! The Calgary Zoo and the University of Calgary are working in partnership with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership to protect lemurs and their habitat in Kianjavato, Madagascar.

Thank you for supporting wild life conservation! When you visit the zoo and our new habitat, a portion of your membership fees go toward caring for Calgary Zoo animals as well as supporting our local and global conservation efforts.

The day is finally here – Land of Lemurs is officially open! After years of planning, over a year of construction and zoo-wide teamwork, the immersive walkthrough habitat is ready for visitors. It is the first habitat of its kind in Canada, an accomplishment of which we are truly proud. But who exactly will you see when you visit? Meet our lemur species!

ABOUT THE BLOG

At the Calgary Zoo, we have endless stories to share about our animals, our people and our conservation work. Whether we are inspiring our visitors to love nature, saving species in western Canada from extinction or working with scientists on the other side of the globe, our ultimate goal is simple: to help wildlife and keep it wild.